Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-18

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Doctors tell us that we can get all the vitamins we need from having a healthy diet. Despite this advice, some people continue to spend large sums of money on vitamin pills.

Why do you think some people spend a lot of money on vitamin pills?

How could people be persuaded to improve their diet instead of buying vitamin pills?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

It has been analysed that way of living is getting faster day by day. Specially in the Urban areas it feels like the twenty-four hours of the day pass in half of the duration. Whether it is a weekend or not, everyday has some task which has to be completed by any individual till the end of the day. Thus, it is easier said than done to take healthy or organic meal within that timeframe. Most of the people are now relying on fast food instead of cooking organic food in home. Number of brands are selling such foods for example oats for breakfast, burgers for lunch or dinner for which people are habitual to it as they takes no longer time for being cooked.

Here comes an issue with that these packed fast food is prepared with less fresh meat, vegetables and dairy item as it has to go through multiple stages before you purchase it. For example, after completion they order is stacked in the wearhouse waiting for the vehicle to come and transport it to designated territory where it will be placed in the shelve of any ordinary shop or in any supermarket. Hence, to keep the food preserve for such a long period of time and to enhance taste of it, companies might has to add some chemicals which will eventually minimize the organic effect of food that is Vetamins etc.

The tip of the iceberg is that disposible fast food which is being consumed by many of us suffer from deficiency of Vitamins and sometimes suffered from chornic dicease. Approximately everyone living is cities and is a part or corporate industry is on the same boat that their immune system is not as much as strong to fight against the allergies and diceases born by the incearing pollution of the world. Perhaps, when they visit the doctors, they left with no choice to getting prescribed with medincines for the fever or illnes along with vitamin pills for sometimes a long period of time to make their immune system strong again.

Many people would not agree that this strategy is basically a double-edged sword for the doctors as on the one side they get fame among the people about good treatment being done by them, but on the other hand the vitamin pills suggested by them are also effecting their kidneys on the long run. Their are also rumors that these doctors get commissions on the sales in their area of that specific vitamin pills which they had prescribed.

A hoilistic view of the topic describes that no matter if any doctor tells that the required vitamins can get from a healthy meal, it is not possible for majority of people in this fast moving world to consume 100% organic and healthy food. That is why many people spend a hefty amount of money on vitamin pills. Some body builders also consume these pills to keep their physics maintain and to get strength while doing exercise. People should manage time and make their own food at home to prevent such deficiency in thier body. That is how they can live a happy and healthy life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response gives a relevant explanation for vitamin-pill use, linking busy urban lifestyles, reliance on processed food, perceived deficiencies, and doctors’ prescriptions. It also offers a practical suggestion—preparing food at home—and mentions bodybuilders as another group of users. However, the task is only partly addressed: the reasons receive much more attention than how people could be persuaded to improve their diets. The suggestion to “manage time and make their own food” is not developed with specific ways to encourage this, such as nutrition education, accessible healthy meals, or public-health campaigns. Some claims, including that processed food loses vitamins and that doctors may receive commissions, are presented broadly without support. A clearer, more balanced response to both questions would strengthen the answer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is divided into paragraphs and uses signposting such as “Here comes an issue,” “The tip of the iceberg,” and “A holistic view,” so the reader can identify shifts in focus. The overall progression, however, is not consistently clear: the discussion moves from busy lifestyles to food storage, pollution, doctors’ motives, and bodybuilders, without always showing how each point advances the answer. Several linking phrases feel formulaic or do not express the relationship precisely, and references such as “these packed fast food” and “that specific vitamin pills” are unclear. The final paragraph repeats the main explanation rather than bringing the two task questions together. Organising the response into a reasons paragraph and a persuasion paragraph, with clearer links between claims, would improve progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

There is an attempt to use a varied range, including “relying on,” “deficiency,” “immune system,” “double-edged sword,” and “hefty amount.” These choices show some ambition, but inaccurate word choice, collocation, and spelling are frequent enough to make parts of the message difficult to follow. Examples include “organic effect of food,” “keep the food preserve,” “diceases born by the incearing pollution,” and “keep their physics maintain.” Several expressions are also imprecise or unsuitable for the intended meaning, such as “wearhouse” and “ordinary shop.” Aim for accurate, natural combinations rather than adding idioms where they do not fit. Proofreading spelling and choosing precise terms for nutrition, food processing, and health would make the argument clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and complex sentences, including clauses beginning with “Whether,” “Hence,” and “Perhaps,” and it uses some subordination to explain causes and consequences. However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make several sentences hard to process. For example, “everyday has some task which has to be completed by any individual” has problems with sentence construction and agreement, while “companies might has to add” and “they left with no choice to getting prescribed” show errors in verb forms and patterns. There are also repeated problems with articles, plurals, and agreement, as in “these packed fast food is.” Work on building shorter, accurate sentences first, then combine ideas using controlled clauses and check subject–verb agreement and verb patterns.

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